


Unthinkable

by FeatherQuilt88



Series: The Amber Dragon Anthology [27]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon-Divergent from Everything Else, Comedy, Gen, Humor, Post-Canon for the Original Series, Quadruple Drabble, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 09:48:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30087249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeatherQuilt88/pseuds/FeatherQuilt88
Summary: Did you know the Swampbenders have their own special kind of tea? (Well, they do in this fanfic, anyway.)
Series: The Amber Dragon Anthology [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988473
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Unthinkable

**Author's Note:**

> For readers new to my "Amber Dragon" fanfic series (which is post-canon for the original series and canon-divergent from everything else)--in it, Iroh runs a new teashop, the Amber Dragon, in the Fire Nation capital. He and Zuko have taken to calling each other "Dad" and "Son," though they still remain uncle and nephew in legal contract, for political reasons.

The Foggy Swamp Tribe are perhaps the strangest-looking ambassadorial party to come to Capital City, with their outfits of bark and giant leaves (and not much else)! Although he is admittedly glad that they have chosen to camp outside the Amber Dragon (instead of tracking mud indoors on its rugs), the Fire Lord's cheery and open-minded uncle is always ready to make new friends.

The leader of the Swamp Tribe's party, a tall and very skinny fellow named Due, puts a pot of some sort of tea on their campfire. Delighted that even these faraway Waterbenders enjoy his favorite drink, Iroh plops onto one of their logs, smoothing his green robe. Soon he is chatting away with them, his old-fashioned accent and their drawling ones all raised in laughter.

Iroh's laughter soon trails off into disbelief, though, when he notices what the tribesmen are doing to their tea. Instead of serving it all nice and piping-hot after taking the kettle off the flames, why, now they're letting it _cool!_ Unthinkable!

"It ain't yucky _lukewarm_ tea, yore Mister Prince-ness," one of the Swampbender ladies grins, as she swirls water up and into one of the cups, and turns it into crackling ice. "It's _iced_ tea! Try it, you'll like it!"

Iroh cocks a dubious gray eyebrow—but, remembering how he _does_ like the cold matcha ice cream on Ember Island, he decides to take a sip. _Hmmmm..._ well, it's not quite the same as his warm and comforting Amber Dragon blends, but it is _refreshing,_ in a way. The old Firebender smacks his lips thoughtfully, still trying to decide whether he likes this new development or not.

Then a large cricket-beetle floats to the top of his cup.

Iroh awakens fifty seconds later, to the splash of the Swampbenders' water, and Due patting his cheek frantically. "Oh! Oh, thank goodness, old feller!" the tribesman ambassador sighs with relief, a humble and apologetic note still in his voice. "We wuz just about t' draw lots, to see which of us would have t' go tell the Fire Lord we'd made his uncle...dad...person pass clean out!"

"Ooooouuueeerrghhh..." Iroh groans, rubbing one of his temples. He still likes these rustic, friendly Waterbenders, and he will refrain from mentioning this incident to Zuko. But right now, he's going back inside to towel off... and to recuperate with a big pot of warm, soothing, assuredly-cricket-free jasmine!

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I am from the American south, so I get to make fun of iced tea. Also, please note that Iroh didn't actually dislike the iced tea in this fic, and he may enjoy trying it again--it was just the beetle that did it for him. ;)
> 
> PS: Tho (the short, chubby Swampbender always seen with Due in the show) is fine, and is still Due's BFF--he just had other business to attend to this time. I'm not sure why my brain insisted Due was leading this little ambassadorial party alone, but it did--that was simply how the scene played out in my mind, so that's how I wrote it.


End file.
